Brick-setting machine



. Feb. 4, 1930. H. B. CRUM BRICK SETTING MACHINE Feb. 4, 1930. H. B. CRUM BRICK SETTING MACHINE Filed March 31', 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. B. CRUM BRICK SETTI-NG MACHINE Filed March 51, 1928 Feb; 4, 1930.

H. B. cRuM BRICK SETTING MACHINE Feb. 4, 1930.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 31, 1928 llfllldrllll Q I 5 Feb. 4, 19 30. H. B. CRUM 1,745,743

BRICK SETTING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I w i M gzilf mh j 1 7163 Patented Feb. .4, 1930 res PATENT OFFICE HOLLIS B. 01mm, or sourn MILWAUKEE, wrsconsm BRICK-SETTING MACHINE.

Application filed March 31', 1928. Serial No. 266,411.

My presentinvention relates to brick'setting inachines,and more particularly to an improved hydraulic brick setting machine.

In the brick settingflmachines heretofore employed, it has been, usual and customary 't'ohavea brick gripping device foreng aging a the finger courses of. a unit. stack of brick. andoperable byvinfiexible mechanism, such" as pivoted links and bars, or by flexible or I 1 yielding mechanism,vsuch asgripping fingers controlled by res1l1ent means, such as springs.

Infeitherclas's of devices, each individual i brick grippingelement is and must be separately adjustable and because of the inability to adjust? the mechanism so that. the same amount of pressure applied equally to each of the brick gripping devices and because of l .theffact that thebrick vary in thickness, such devices have not coine 'into thegenera'l use 't'o which they are seemingly entitled. With regard to brick gripping devices-of the pivoted leveror bar ty-pe,the adjustment ofthe 7 elements thereof flispositive, and once having bee'nseathe same amount of movement is given to the parts and,'therefore, the same 7 pressureis exerted by such. parts, regardless i of the thickness of the brick With Which such elements are in engagement. Consequently itjmight, and frequently did happen, that 33 such gripping devices failed to hold the brick 'at'jalli and in other cases the brick was subg jecte'dto such severe pressure, as to destroyj 1 j j the same?" Where it was attempted to substi- ,tute spring means fto compensate for the variations in thickness of the bricks being Worked upon, the question of adjustment is r f theall important factor, particularly as each spring has its individual characteristics as j regards-loads.submitted'thereto at different stages ofcompression of thesprings and this v type of lifting devicepthough' much better v than thejpositive link and bar type, yet has not come into general use.

l (In devising the, subject matter of the present invention, 12am enabled to obviate'the" defec'ts of prior devices and to obviate the;

. difficulties attendantfthereon as above pointed'out, and have devised 'a lifting or settlng mechanism in which a plurality of individual.

brick gripping devices are simultaneously operated from a single source and each individual gripping device is arranged to producethe same being gripped. In carrying identical pressure on 'a brick out my invention, I provide a plurality of parallelly arranged fingers, as

is usual inthis'type of apparatus, and associated with eac h finger is a plurality of brick gripping devices, such devices being associatedavith a source of fluid'pressure that is common to every finger and to every gripping device carried thereby. The form of fluid pressure is preferably hydraulic and with this typeoi' power, I am enabled to transmit to each individual brick gripping device a predetermined pressure and the pressure is construction and arrangement of parts com- I prising the device, Will appear as the. de'- scription'of the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawingsillustrating' preferred"embodiments of my invention,

Fig.1 1s arear end elevation; v Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation; I

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1 Fig. 5 isapartial front elevation; Fig.6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. a; Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 4

Fig. 8 is an nism;

Fig.- 10 is a Fig. 1;

Fig. 11' is a Fig. 1;

Fig. l2-is a elevation of a clamping unit disassociated from its surrounding mecha- Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig.

section on the line 10-10 of section on the line l111 of section on the'line l2l2 of Fig. 4 showing the gripping elements in one position, and

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 but showing the gripping elements in open or operative position. I

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a flat plate or bar of suitable width and length, which has formed integral therewith and on'the under side thereof an elongated chamber 11. Secured to the under face of the material forming the walls ofthe 'chamber 11 by bolts- 12, are bearing members 13. In the lower ends of each of the bearing mem= bers 13 is mounted a shaft 14, these shafts being in alignment with'each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and the outer ends of each of said shaftsare threaded toreceive nuts 15. Rotatably mounted on eachof the shafts 15 and at each side of the bearing members 13 is ,a forwardly extending lifting finger 16. Also'sec'ured'tothe under face of the material forming walls of the chamber l lby'bolts 17 is a bearing member 18,such bearing mem-. her being provided witha shaft 19 held in p0 sitionby a nut20, and on such shaft is rotatably mounted a forwardly extending lifting finger 21. From an inspection" of the drawings,and particularly Fig. 1, it will be apparent that the lifting fingers 16 are arranged in pairs', with the exception of the lifting finger 21 associated with the bearing member '18. Intermediate the ends of each pair of lifting fingers 16, as above described, is a spacing block 22, which, by reference to Fig.

i bolts 23.v ,Each pair of lifting fingers,there-' -fore, with'th'eexception of thelifting finger 21, as. above described, move in unison.

7, will be. seen tobe recessed in the inner'or opposing. faces of the pairs of lifting fingers 16 and such fingers are held in close association with theblocks 22 by means of threaded F ormediintegral withthe rectangular plate 10, and extending downwardly. from the front edge thereof, is a plate 24, the lower end of which is recessed, as indicated at 25 in Fig. 4. Fitting in the recess 25 so as to-have the front face thereof. fiushwiththe front face of the plate 24, are downwardly depending members 26, such members being held in position .by bolt 27,.there being one of such members foreach connected pair of'lifting fingersextending ledge 30 that is engaged byta bar or block- 31 secured to the inner face of the lifting finger 21 in thesame relative position thereon as is occupied by the block 22 associ- While the downward movement of the outer free ends of the lifting fingers 16 and 21 is limited by the ledges 28 'and'30, the upper movement thereof is limited by thelower edge rof the plate 24, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

ated withthe pairs of liftingfingers 16.

l/Vhile. the outer free ends of the liftingfingers I v 16 and 21 are in their lowermost position, Y

the upper edges of all'suchlifting fingers lie in ahorizontal plane that is at right angles to a vertical plane in which lies the front face ofthe plate 24 and elements 26. Secured to the upper face ofthe plate 10 by bolts 32 and symmetrically arranged on either side of the center of the length of such plate lO'are standards 33. Forming part of such sta nd ards33 and arrangedparallel to but spaced apart from each other are vertically arranged a l uprights 34 and in'e'ach of suchuprig'hts'are arranged guideways 35 and 36, the guideways 35being of equallength, and arranged opposite each other, as are also the guideways 36.

37 designates a U-shaped member at the ex tremit-yof the arms of which are arranged? outwardly extending stub shafts 38, and on each such shaft 'islan anti-friction roller 39, which rides in the guideway 35 above described as being formed in the members 34.. At the end of the arms of the U-shaped mem- 7 hers 37, remote from the stub shafts 38, arearranged stub shafts 40, such stub shafts ex tending laterally outward therefrom and be ing provided on theirouter endswith antifriction rollers 41 that engage in the guide ways ,36. j The U-shaped member 37, there-.

fore, is capable of verticalmovement within the limits of the'length of the guideways 35 and'36.- Secured to the U-shaped member 37 on opposite sides thereof and adjacent to the stub shafts 40, by bolts 42, are outwardly ex tending parallelly arranged lifting bails 43',

such bails each being provided with a hole 44 at the extremity thereof. The bails 43 are ii two in number and both equal in length, so 7 i that the holes 44 therin are in alinement with each other. On the side ofthe U-shaped member37 oppositethe bails 43, secured by bolts 45, are short .bails '46, each provided with holes47, and the bails-46 form practical-v 1y. a rearward continuation of thebails 43 and the holes 47 in the bails'46 .being'in aline-j. ment with each other, the holes 44 and 47 i form a four-point suspension means for suspendingthe U-shaped member from anydevice, such asa lifting crane. Formed in the members46 are bearings 48and in these bearings there is rotatably mounted a shaft 49,

'providedinterniediate its ends with an operating lever 50, Secured to the shaft 49 and" at each end there-of is a dog 51,- these dogs be ing adapted to engage withalatch 52, formed integral with and extending upwardly from 1 the members 34. lVith theparts in the position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and,4,'for example,it will be obvious that with the dogs 51 engagwill bein their normal or lnoperative pos1-.

therefore, the U-shaped frame member 37 will be retained in, its lowermost position with regard'to themembers 34 and the parts mounted on and carried thereby. In this position, the entire mechanismmay be transport ed by suitable means to any place desired and when thus held, the various operating parts I tion. a

Each of the liftingfingers 1 6 is provided I near its to) ed e with alon itudinal )assa e l a: D

I 53, such passage extending substantially throughout the length of the finger, but being closed at the outer end thereof. At. intervals along the length of the lifting fingers 16 and v Ionthe under faceor edge thereof are trans- 2o;

verseljournalsor grooves 54 and extending fromthebottom faceof each of the 1ournals or grooves 54upwardly,-so as to connect with thelongitudinal passage 53, is a passage 55. AlsoeXtendingfrom the bottom face' of c the, transverse passages 54, parallel to the passage 55 andlocated one on each side of such. passage, are holes ,or depressions 56,

' verse passages 54,

such holes'or depressions, however, not extending 1nto the. longitudinal passage 53.

v On the bottom face or. edge of each, of the fingers 16, adjacent each edge of the transaredrilled and tapped holes 57.

Referringnow to Fig. 8, wherein is shown" an elevation of a clamping unit adapted to be positioned in a transverse passage 54 and a f passage 55, 58 designates a block that fits into 1 the transverse passage 54 and with the lower with the lower edge fof'the fingers 16,.sucl1 end thereof extending-laterally outward on each side to form shoulders 59 that engage shoulders 59 'being drilled and counterbored,

as J indicated at: c 60, I in alinement with the I drilled and tappedhole 57 'in theifingers 16, and-inwhich drilled and counterbored holes 60. and tapped holes 57 screw bolts 61 and i. bymeans of which theblock 59 and attached parts are firmly held in position on the under ef-shafts v63arranged in alinement witheach other and held in position in'the block 58 by pins .64. The inner'ends of each of-the'shafts 9 face'oredge of the lifting fingers16. There;

are a plurality of such blocks 5.8-.for each of j theffingers 16, as will be clearly evident from an inspection of Fig. 4, and each block 58 is 1 providedwith a transverse opening 62, which acts as a housing-for elements to be described. Each of the'blocks 58 is provided with a pair 63 extend into the opening 62 but are separated from each other and on such inner ends are pivotally mounted one end of links 65, such'links being held against longitudinal displacement on such shaft63 by pins 66. The

otherendsof the links 65 are pivotally mounted to. a. single shaft such shaft. beingassof ciated with the links 65 by pins 68. On the shaft 67 between the links 65 'is pivotally mounted a grippinglever 69, the free end of which is capable of moving laterally outward with respect to the lifting fingers 16, and the other end is rotatably mounted on a shaft arranged parallel to the shaft 67. The attaching end of the lever 69 with the shaft 70 is forked, as indicated at 71, and in such forked portion and on the shaft 70 is pivotally attached the lower end of a piston 72. The upper end of this piston is machined to be a close sliding fit in the passage 55, that is connected to the longitudinal passage 53. It is obvious, therefore, that if the piston 72 occupies the relation with respect to the pas-4 sage 55, as indicated in Fig. 13, thatthe lever 69 will be moved upwardly and will be housed -within the limits of the block 58, which block obviously is of the same width as the width of the fingers 16 and that when such piston 72 is moved downward with respect to the passage 55, that the lever 69 will be so operated as to throw its lower free end outward laterally with respect to the fingers 16, as

These pins 6 have secured at their upper ends, by. pins 77, a washer 78 and between the under face of each of the fwashers 78 and the upper face of the block or abutment 58, is a coil spring 79 and the coil spring 79, together with the rod 76, fit loosely into the holes or depressions 56 arranged one on each side of the passage 55. It is obvious from an inspection of Fig. 8 that if the piston 72' is moved downwardly to cause the free end of the lever 69 to move from the position shown in Fig. 13, to that shown in Fig. 12, that the spring 79 will he compressedand that if thepiston 72 is freed, that the tension of the springs 79 will tend to draw the piston 72 back into their normal position, as shown in Fig. 13.

Attached to the upper central portion of the member 10, by bolts 80, is a member 81 provided with a central chamber 82 for a purpose to be hereinafter described, and such central-chamber 82 is connected by means of passage 83 withthe elongated chamber 11. The material forming the rear wall of the elongated chamber '11 is drilled at intervals to receive one end of a connecting member 84,]there being one such member 84- for each of the lifting fingers 16. The

85.. On eachfof the lifting fingers 16, on the upper edge thereof adjacent to the pivot end,

1s. an upwardly extending projection 86 drilled and tapped in alinement with the 1ongitudinal passage 83 to receive a bolt 87.

- Lying between the projection 86 and the reartherefore, forming the connecting link be-- tween the longitudinal passage 53 and the elongated chamber 11 and allows fluid to flow from the chamber 11 to the longitudinal passages 53 and vice'versa. I

The member 81 on either end thereof is machined to receive as a sliding fit a piston 91 and these pistons are slidable toward each other into the chamber 82,for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The outer face of each end of the member 81 is drilled and adapted to receive bolts 92 that act to hold stuffing boxes 93 in position on the member 81 and surrounding the pistons 91 and be tween the stuiiing boxes 93 and the machined ends'of the member 81 is packing 94 arranged for the purpose of maintaining a tight joint between the machined-ends of the member 81 and the pistons 91. To the outer end of each of the pistons 91 is secured, by pin 95, one end of a connecting rod 96. Theseoonnecting rods extend outward in a horizontal direction and pass through guides 97 on-the member 84. The outer ends of the connect ing rods 96 are pivotally attached to one end pivotally mounted on a shaft 100 adjacent to the upper end of the member 3? The free end of the other arm 101 ofeach of the bell crank levers ispivotally attached to the lower end of links 102 andthe upper end of such links 102 arepivotally attached to the U-shaped frame member '37adjacent to the central point or portion thereof.

From an inspection of Fig. 1,v it will be obvious that an upward movement ofthe U-shaped frame member 37 causes'an. up-

ward movement of the free ends of the arms 101 ofthe bell crank lever pivoted at the points 100 and, therefore, an inward movement of the free ends of the arms 99 of such bell crank lever, causing thereby an inward movement of the pistons 91 toward each other and into the chamber 82, thus compressing any fluid such as water that maybe in such chamber and transmitting a pressure therefrom to cause an outward or downward movement of the pistons 72 in the passages 55, thuscausing anoutward movement of the free ends, of the levers 69, thus moving the same from the position shownin Fig; 13 to 1 of links 98, the other end of such links being pivotally connected to the lower end of one of the arms 99of a bell crank lever that is 1 that shown in Fig; 12. Ifat this time a pair of rows of'brick 105 are between adjacent fingers 16, it will be obvious that such 7 Formed integral with the member 81 and "brick will be held gripped between thelevers 69 'andthe adjacent face of the fingers 16.

extending upwardly'therefrom is a cylindri cal member'106, this'member being enlarged at its top and open, and the open end'closed by a cover plate 107 secured to the member 106 by bolts 108. The interior of the member 106 at its lower end is chambered, as-indic'ated at 109, to receive as a sliding fit an open ended piston 110 provided with aspring ball valve 111 at its lower end and the chamber 109- communicates with the chamber 82 by means of aport 112. Within the member 106and adjacent to the'top of the chamber 109 is provided a stuffing box 113 held in' position by bolts 114 and surrounding the open ended pistons 110.] Between the stuffing box 113 andthe bo'dy of the member 106 is compressible packing 115, this being for thepurpose of'maintaining a tight joint between the slidable piston 110 and the chamber 109. The cover 107 is'provided with a centrallylocated hub 116 threadedrto receive a screw plug 117, such screw plug'being provided with t a perforation 118 communicating with theinterior of the hollow piston 110 and being closed by a screw plug 119. On the I inner end-of the plug 117 is located a washer' 120 provided with'a' perforation 121 inalinement with the perforation 118'and lying be- 3 tween the lower face of thewasher12O and the. closed end of the piston 110 is a coil spring 122. r

If the apparatus above described is sus pended from any suitable lifting device, such as a .crane, by a four-point suspension attached at the holes 44 and 47in the members 48 and-46 respectively, and'iif, under these circumstances, the parts of the apparatus are 'm the position indicated in 'Figs. 1' and'4,

for example, it isfobviousthat an'upward movement. of the members 43 and 46 will cause an upward movement of. all of the apmembers 43 and 46, engage with-latches 52 formed integral'with and at the upper end paratus mounted on or associatedwith the elements 33' and 34, due to the fact that the dogs 51 carriedon the U-shaped'me'mber -37, and therefore, directly attached to the of the members 34, and that underthese Cir-1 cumstances, the gripping levers 69'associated with thelifting fingers 16 will be in the-position shown in Fig; 13'that is, under these i circumstances it is possible to move'the.plu-

rality ofparallelly arranged lifting fingers 16 into the spaces between the finger courses at the bottom of a unit stack of brick 105.

If, therefore, after the plurality of parallelly arrange'dfingers 16, have" been arranged under the unit stack of brick composed ofthe brick 105 and between adjacent finger courses thereotthe operator by pulling on the lever -50 rotates the shaft49 sufficiently to, withdraw'the dog's51from engagement with the latches 52 and a lifting action is given tothe members4l3and 46 and,'therefore, to the U- shaped frame member 37, it is obvious that the lifting movement of the U-shaped memher'59'which is guided in a vertical direcand: respectively, that the inner free ends l of the arms 101 of the bell crank levers pivtion by means of the anti-friction rolls 4:1 and 39, moving in the vertical guideways 36 oted at the points will likewise be moved upwardly, thereupon forcing, through their connection with the arms 99and rod 96, thepistons 91 toward each other into the chamber 82. If, under these circumstances,

We consider the chamber 82, as well as the elongated chamber 11, to be filled with a liquid, such as water or oil, and also the hollow pistons 110 as well as the interior of the 6. member 106, to be filled with the liquid, then theinward movement of the'pistons 91 will 7 i generate a pressure in such liquid and the 25 pressure will be communicated through the liquid tocause a movement outward or downward of the pistons 72- in the passages 55, with the result that the gripping levers 69' will be rotated about their axis and brought from the position shown in Fig. 13 to that shown in Fig. 12, therebygripping the lower courses of brick 105 between one face of the fingers 16 and the gripping levers 69. The

operate the gripping mechanisms and do the necessary work. Any excessive pressure over that necessary to (1013116 work will cause a flow of-liquid through the passageway 112 and will cause an upward movement of the open ended piston 110 and will cause a compression of the spring 122, the forward move- V ment of the open ended piston 110 being sufficient to accommodate the surplus from the displacement of the pistons 91. Should i there beany leaks in the system, a certain 'amountof fluid will necessarily be lost, and

thespring 122, therefore,'with its associated open ended piston110 acts asan accumulator to'f maintain the necessary pressure on the gripping levers 69. In order that a sufficient amount of oil may be kept for use in the system, the upper end of the member 106 is provided with an oil indicator 126, and should the on, drop belowfa certainpredetermined amount, the operator may, byremoval of the plug 119, insert through the'perforation 118,

asuificient amount to bring the supply back to normal. The load of brick comprising i the unitmade up of the individual bricks 37 :and attached parts, is calculated to weigh approximately six thousand pounds and is sufficient to generate apressure of approximately four hundred and fifty pounds per square inch, but the normal working pressure is approximately one hundred and fifty pounds per square inch and the difierence' is absorbed by the piston 110.

After the unit stack of brick has been brought to the position desired, the U-shaped member 37 lowered to its lowermost position, or until thedogs 51 engageiwith the latches 52, and the weight of the moving members is suflicient to cause a retraction of the pistons v91, which are thus brought back exactly to their original position. tion of the device,.any fluid has leaked out of the system duringthe period it was under pressure, a partial vacuum will be created in the chamber 82 and this partial vacuum will be sufficient to overcome the tension of the spring in the ball spring valve 111 and enough fluid will passthrough said valve from the reservoir above into the chamber 82 to make up the deficiency and bring the system back to normal again.

JVhile I have necessarily shown and described the preferred embodiment of my in vention somewhat in detail, it is to be understood that I may vary the size, shape and arrangement of parts within wide limits without departing from thespirit of the invention. =Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newis:

1. In a brick setting machine, the combination of a plurality of lifting fingers, a brick gripping device mounted on g each of said fingers, each gripping device operable to engage with one face of the brick and grip the same and force the brick into engagement with the adjacent finger, hydraulic means for operating said gripping devices simultaneously and means for operating thehydraulic means to apply pressure to the grips ping devices" proportional to the weight of bricks on the fingers. I I r 2. In a brick setting machine, the combination of a plurality of parallelly arranged lifting fingers adapted to be positioned under a stack of brick and between the finger courses 3; In a brick setting machine, the combination of a framework, a plurality ofparallelly arranged brick lifting fingers mounted thereon, a plurality of brick gripping devices mounted on each of said fingers and each gripping device co-operating with its vadj acent finger to grip and lift-the finger courses of a unit stack of brick, a lifting mechanism slidably mounted in said framework, an bydraulic operating means for operating the brick gripping devices, and connections between the lifting frame and the'first said frame for controlling the hydraulic means.

4. In a brick setting machine, the combination of a framework, a plurality of pivotally mounted brick lifting fingers parallelly' arranged with respect to each other, means permitting limited pivotal movement of said fingers individually of each other and with respect to the framework, a plurality of brick gripping-devices mounted oneach of said fingers, an hydraulic operating means for said gripping devices mounted on said framework,a lifting frame slidably mounted with respect to said frame, and connections for operating-the hydraulic device extending between the said frames whereby the pressure generated by the hydraulic operating means is dependent on the load carried on the lifting fingers.

5. In abrick setting machine, the combination of a framework, a plurality of pivotally' mounted brick lifting fingers parallelly arranged withrespect to each other, meanspermitting limited pivotal movement of said fingers individually of each other "and with respect to the framework, a plurality of brick gripping devices mounted on each of said fingers, an hydraulic operating means for said gripping devices mounted on said framework, a lifting frame slidably mounted with respect to said frame, connections for operat-v ing the hydraulic device extending between the said frames, whereby the pressure generated by the hydraulic operating means. is dependent on the load carried on the lifting fingers, and means associated with the hyhydraulic device, the pressure generated by the hydraulic devicedepending on the load associated with the hydraulic device for maintaining the pressure transmitted therefrom to the gripping devices substantially constant, and means associated with the bya predetermined amount of liquid in the system. Y 1

; In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

- HOLLIS BIGRUMQ drauli'c operating means'for maintaining'the I lifting devices carriedonand by the lifting fingers, means 'draulic device'for automatically maintaining 7 

